Issues
EDUCATION
Having grown up surrounded by teachers, I have a great respect and admiration for the educators who work daily on shaping the future of our communities. To strengthen our education system for the next generation, I believe we need to find new and better solutions to prepare our students with the skills of the future. As a legislator, I would work to:
- Push to propel more students, particularly girls, into STEM programs to prepare them for the jobs of the future.
- Push for high-quality universal pre-K programs taught by licensed educators.
- Push for an increase in discretionary funding for K-12 schools to add teacher aides and other support professionals to bring down the student to educator ratio and promote the education and safety of our students.
- Allow college students to renegotiate the interest rates of their existing loans.
THE ENVIRONMENT
If elected, I will be a champion of both science and evidence-based measures backed by solid peer reviewed research. I believe the scientific community when they call for a reduction in carbon emissions to protect the future of our children. If elected, I would:
- Champion the increase of sources of “true” clean and renewable energy, such as wind and solar.
- Work to bring renewable energy jobs to our state.
- Protect clean water and preserve our pristine lakes and rivers by standing firm on environmental safeguards.
ECONOMIC SECURITY
There is a great deal of influence that the state government can have on the daily lives of Minnesotans. Nowhere is this more evident than in the promotion of residents’ economic security. If elected, I would work to:
- Fight for good incomes and wages to ensure the dignity of everyday families.
- Preserve the hard-earned benefits of our seniors.
- Ensure that all taxes are spent responsibly on programs that directly impact our district.
TRANSPORTATION
Minnesota’s roads, bridges, and infrastructure are some of the best in the country, but still need continual maintenance, repair, and expansion. We need to make an investment in this critical state resource through continued investment funding, not at the whim of the legislature every two years. This means forward-thinking funding solutions that are not part of the biennial bonding bill. If elected, I would work to:
- Improve road safety by restoring or replacing deteriorating roads and bridges.
- Increase funding for fixing bottleneck areas that slow traffic and extend commutes.
- Invest in transit options to prevent future traffic congestion and costly road repairs.
SMALL BUSINESS EMPOWERMENT
Small businesses not only create more jobs than all of the Fortune 500 combined, but they instill a feeling of pride amongst their owners and employees. Having been a part of several small businesses and working as an independent contractor, I know that it’s not easy to start and grow a small business by yourself. If elected, I would work to:
- Simplify the tax code to make sure small business owners and contractors can focus on running their business.
- Find common ground with legislators to reduce the cost of providing health care to employees.
- Promote the expansion of broadband to greater Minnesota to ensure small businesses can flourish statewide and allow younger generations to live where they grew up.
GUN REFORM
Common sense gun reform must protect the constitutional rights of our citizens while ensuring the safety and security of everyone. We must keep arms out of the hands of those who mean to harm members of our community. I will work to listen to survivors of shootings to understand how we can balance protecting life and protecting our liberties. As a legislator, I would work to:
- Promote universal background checks.
- Promote safe storage to prevent unforeseen tragedies, particularly amongst our children.
- Defend Minnesota state law by standing firm for the laws already on our books.
This content was originally published at https://www.bahnerforhouse.com/